The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and Loudoun County in Virginia, United States of America, Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to kick-start a sister city relationship. Mr. Yohane Amarh Ashitey, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, and Ms. Phyllis Randall, Chair-At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, signed on behalf of their respective institutions. Mr. Ashitey disclosed that the processes towards the development of the sister city relationship between the two cities started during a meeting with an American investor and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the US. The President recommended at that meeting that Loudoun and Tema strike a perfect friendship that could unleash prospects to transform the Ghanaian economy, Mr Ashitey stated. He said Tema provided an ideal investment destination for all prospective investors as it was the Industrial Hub of Ghana; and had the largest seaport on the west coast of Africa, which serves landlocked countries such as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, as well as houses over 400 industrial establishments. He added that Tema was the closest human habitation to the Centre of the World and the single location with most of the nation's strategic installations, such as oil refineries, thermal power generation plants, and many others, describing the city as the heartbeat of the nation in terms of revenue mobilization, manufacturing, and the export-import business. The MCE noted that in a quest to make Tema a global investment destination, the Assembly's focus for the sister city relationship would be on general infrastructure, tourism, culture and hospitality, education, sanitation, sports and recreation, as well as technology. Ms. Randall, for her part, said they take the relationship very seriously, adding that even though they were looking at other countries for the relationship, they opted for Tema with the conviction that it was the right place to be. She said Loudoun County had more than 65 percent of the world's data traffic passing through the city, adding that it is also technologically heavy and deals in agriculture, industries, wines, and many job opportunities. She said the two cities were seeking to complement each other and fill the gaps existing between them. The 10-member delegation led by Ms. Randell would use the one-week visit to Ghana to engage and visit industries, schools, data centres, and other places of interest.

Source: Ghana News Agency